CELEBRATING BLACK ACTIVIST JOHNNIE TILLMON As an organization rooted in the welfare rights movement, we remember Johnnie Tillmon, the founder of the first grassroots welfare organization called ANC (Aid to Needy Children) Mothers Anonymous. ANC Mothers later became a part of the National Welfare Rights Organization (NWRO).
"Welfare's like a traffic accident. It can happen to anybody, but especially it happens to women. And that is why welfare is a women's issue. For a lot of middle-class women in this country, women's liberation is a matter of concern. For women on welfare, it's a matter of survival," wrote Tillmon. "The President keeps repeating the "dignity of work" idea. What dignity? Wages are the measure of dignity that society puts on a job. Wages and nothing else. There is no dignity in starvation. Nobody denies, least of all poor women, that there is dignity and satisfaction in being able to support your kids through honest labor."Read Tillmon's powerful 1972 essay.
THE LATEST ON OUR CASE AGAINST THE BROOKLYN PIPELINE, JUST PUBLISHED TODAY (2/11/22), IN THE GUARDIAN.
PRIVATE DEVELOPERS WILL BE REQUIRED TO REMEDY TOXIC MOLD, UNDER ADA
Some good news in a case that NCLEJ has been working on for nearly a decade: NYCHA residents, including those living in buildings being operated by Section 8 private developers, will be afforded protection against the build-up of toxic mold. The Baez litigation, the first of its kind in the nation, sought abatement of these deplorable living conditions as a reasonable accommodation to these persons’ respiratory disabilities under the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Read more about this precedent-setting case.
LET STUDENTS EAT: HOW STATES ARE LEAVING MONEY (FOOD) ON THE TABLE
States are abandoning the pandemic electronic benefits transfer, or P-EBT. The P-EBT is a mechanism for students who relied on the federal school lunch program to access meals when schools are closed. P-EBT programs are shutting down without an approved plan of operation, because States are refusing to apply for federal funds, literally leaving money on the table, while families struggle to meet basic needs in the face of significant inflation. Here's what's at stake.
WHY WE'RE SUPPORTING THE NO PRICE ON JUSTICE CAMPAIGN
Too many New Yorkers are having to choose between paying for food or paying predatory fines and fines. We're joining coalition partners to rally support for the End Predatory Court Fees Act. Watch this powerful video and follow the campaign at #NoPriceOnJustice.
The National Center for Law and Economic Justice advances racial and economic justice through ground-breaking impact litigation, policy advocacy, and support for grassroots organizing. We have provided legal representation and support since 1965.
